Imaging method and imaging system

An imaging system comprising:

• a beam irradiation subsystem configured to irradiate a wafer with a beam and generate an output corresponding to a signal from the wafer;
• and
• a computer subsystem, wherein
• the computer subsystem controls the beam irradiation subsystem to receive a first image formed based on irradiation of a charged particle beam on a band-shaped sloped surface formed on a sample, perform template matching between the first image and a template image in which a plurality of different band-shaped luminance regions registered in advance are displayed, and position a visual field of the beam irradiation subsystem in a band-shaped luminance region having a known positional relationship with a position identified by the template matching.

An imaging system comprising:

• a beam irradiation subsystem configured to irradiate a wafer with a beam and generate an output corresponding to a signal from the wafer;
• and
• a computer subsystem, wherein
• the computer subsystem controls the beam irradiation subsystem to receive a first image formed based on irradiation of a charged particle beam on a band-shaped sloped surface formed on a sample, count the number of a plurality of different band-shaped luminance regions included in the first image, and position a visual field of the beam irradiation subsystem in a luminance region having a predetermined count number.

An imaging system comprising:

• a beam irradiation subsystem configured to irradiate a wafer with a beam and generate an output corresponding to a signal from the wafer;
• and
• a computer subsystem, wherein
• the computer subsystem controls the beam irradiation subsystem to receive a first image formed based on irradiation of a charged particle beam on a band-shaped sloped surface formed on a sample, acquire an image in each irradiation region while moving a visual field in a direction intersecting with a longitudinal direction of a plurality of different band-shaped luminance regions included in the first image, and measure a pattern appearing on the sloped surface based on beam irradiation on a luminance region in which a feature amount obtained from the image acquired in each region satisfies a predetermined condition or beam irradiation on a luminance region in which a matching score obtained by pattern matching executed between the image obtained in each irradiation region and a template registered in advance satisfies a predetermined condition.

An ion milling apparatus comprising:

• an ion beam source configured to emit a parallel beam parallel to an irradiation direction of a beam;
• a rotating stage configured to hold a wafer to be irradiated with the parallel beam and including an axis of rotation sloped with respect to the irradiation direction of the parallel beam;
• a mask provided between the wafer and the ion beam source at a position separated from the wafer and having a plurality of openings through which the parallel beam partially passes;
• and
• a support member configured to support the mask in a state where a relative position between the mask and the wafer is fixed during rotation of the rotating stage.